Direct link taxi service calls in branding groups

Nascent taxi-by-telephone service Zingo has hailed G2 Design and MJ Productions to carry the brand towards a consumer launch in the spring, it has emerged this week.

Zingo, developed by black cab manufacturer Manganese Bronze, uses GPS and cellular technology to enable passengers to order the nearest available taxi, without going through a ‘third party’ call centre. The company hopes the system, which has been successfully tested in London with around 200 cabbies, will eventually replace traditional on-street hailing.

‘Our unique selling point is the direct connection from passenger to driver,’ says Zingo project director Trevor Power. ‘We are one of the first services to use mobile location [devices]. Our core values are ease of use and spontaneity – a direct link to the driver makes it quick and easy to hail cabs by dialling a dedicated phone number.’

G2 was appointed last February by Zingo marketing director Jason Cross to revamp an identity that was initially created by Birmingham-based group Talisman. ‘It’s a rebalancing of the logo,’ says G2 partner Graham Spice. ‘We’ve redrawn the lettering, modified the sweep and tidied up the type, as it was a little on the clumsy side.’

The consultancy has also designed cab liveries and corporate literature to help recruit drivers for the trial and is now discussing the requirements for what is expected to be a word-of-mouth consumer campaign.

G2’s brand guidelines are being implemented on-line by MJ Productions, winner of a three-way pitch in November to redesign the Zingo website. ‘An interactive script and interface designs are awaiting approval by the client,’ says MJ Productions managing director Martin Johnson. ‘It needs to be a quick site to refresh, reflecting the unique, innovative and exciting nature of the service.’

The Zingo name was created by the UK office of US naming consultancy Master-McNeil. Master-McNeil creative director Clive Chafer led the Reading team.